Take This To Your Grave
by Hotaru Kasumi
Summary: He's known her all her life. She's known him since before she can remember. They've been engaged since they first laid eyes on one another. Problem? They hate eachother. SessKag
1. Setting The Stage

**Alright, before I get started, there are a few things I must include. Ahem**

**1: **Do not, and will never claim to own Inuyasha. Not that stupid.

**2: **My first attempt at a Sess/Kag fic. Please, if the characters seem a bit OOC, that is merely for the purpose of the storyline. I try to keep them in character as much as I can.

**3: **If you don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that. I don't want flames about how much this sucks, or how much you hate it. It is amusing, but gets really old and annoying after a while. Please, respect me.

**4: **This is an AU fic. The characters are the same, with the exception of a few tweaks here and there, but the storyline is completely different. Please, no stealing the story. I worked to hard on it!

**5:** I do mention martial arts in here. I don't know a lot, only what I know from watching my brother practice karate. So if I seem a bit naïve, that's why.

* * *

**Take This to Your Grave**

CHAPTER ONE

Sesshoumaru absolutely loathed social gatherings. They were doting, annoying, and altogether unnecessary. Demons of all kinds, ranging from foxes to bears to wolves, had gathered to celebrate the birth of Princess Kagome, new heir to the Southern lands. His golden eyes rose to watch as his father held the child, barley three weeks old, a small bundle of blankets. His 'mother' was beside him, an infant Inuyasha perched on her hip. The great InuTashio was making eyes at the pup, acting like a woman seeing her child for the first time. Suddenly, he looked up, apparently feeling Sesshoumaru's gaze, and beckoned him to his side while still managing to keep hold of the infant.

Pushing his way though the crowd, he reached his father, albeit begrudgingly. "And I'm sure you'll remember my young son, Sesshoumaru. He is ten summers old this Autumn." Sesshoumaru hated being reminded of his young age. In his opinion, he was old enough to do anything he wanted. The fact that he was only ten had nothing to do with it.

Lord Jiro spoke, his naturally cheerful voice ringing around the hall like a great bell. "Ah yes, young Lord Sesshoumaru. I remember when you were as small as Kagome." Eyeing the small bundle uneasily, he wondered. Had he really been that tiny? It didn't seem possible.

"Here, son. Hold her for me. Jiro and I have much to discuss." Before he could protest, the mall bundle was placed, lightly, in his arms. She weighed close to nothing, compared to some of the other things he had been required to lift.

Looking down at his little burden, he saw that she was looking back up at him with big blue eyes. Her tiny face was framed with a tuft of black hair. She was so fragile, so innocent looking. It wasn't possible that she could grow up to be as large as a normal demon, was it? He reached up one of his hands lowered a clawed finger to touch her. Before he could make contact with the soft looking skin, a miniature hand reached out from the midst of the blankets, and latched onto the offending appendage. Furrowing his brow, Sesshoumaru made to pull away from the girl, but she held fast, sticking his knuckle into her rosebud mouth an suckling softly.

He wasn't too sure what he felt about the tiny demon. Part of him was fighting the urge to rip the child to shreds. The other part of him wanted to clutch the child to his chest and never let her go. The second part of him seemed to be winning, and it annoyed him. His father had returned and was chuckling at the new growth attached to his finger. "Take her, father."

"Now, now, Sesshoumaru. The young princess seems to like you." His father's mate smiled, placing Inuyasha onto her other hip.

The young girl looked perplexed for a moment, then looked as if she were thinking very hard about something. Then, very decidedly, she took Sesshoumaru's finger from her mouth, and cooed the word, "Sesshou!" Sesshoumaru blinked at the small pup, who was currently reaching her free hand up to grasp at his snowy locks.

The girl's mother, Kasumi, seemed especially pleased, grinning at Sesshoumaru with the strangest gleam in her eyes that he thought she might have gone mad. "What?" He finally questioned, removing the girl's hand away from his hair.

"Congratulations. You've just been graced with her first word." Sesshoumaru snorted and looked down at the pup, whose eyes were watering at the removal of her hand from her new object of fascination.

"Sesshou!" The pup gurgled again, reaching up to curl her fingers around his silky tresses. Growling at the look his father gave him, he let the infant tug happily at his hair. It didn't really hurt, just annoyed him to no end. Gradually, her grip on his hair lessened, and her tugs less energetic. Large eyelashes flirted with each other at they blinked over large blue eyes, until they closed. Sighing and curling against his chest, the pup sighed her gargled version of his name before falling into the oblivion of sleep.

Letting a small smirk cross his emotionless features, Sesshoumaru brushed a few stray strands of black hair out of her cherub face. "Kagome." This would, however, be one of the last tender moments between the pair for a very long time.

* * *

"Bastard." 

"Whore."

"Jerk."

"Bitch."

"Conceited, self-centered, arrogant, _asshole_."

Their faces were so close together that Sesshoumaru could smell her breath, see every individual detail on her face, from the blue stripes on her cheeks to the five point star on her forehead. She was so _irritating_, she drove him insane. There should be laws against someone that young to be that annoying. She was short that he had to bend over to see eye to eye with her, and only eight summers old.

They had gotten into an argument about who had won a spar after Sesshoumaru had 'cheated'. "Just get out. You disgust me. It's bad enough I have to put up with you every summer. We've interacted, now leave me be." In a huff, Kagome whirled around, her plume of black hair surrounding her like a curtain, and left the dojo, and one fuming inuyoukai.

Feeling the need to let off some access steam before the midday meal was served, Sesshoumaru took up his bow staff. Trying to focus on his staff and nothing else, he swung it around a few times, taking out imaginary opponents left and right. It had become a particularly useful training method to imagine the Princess Kagome as his opponent, defeating her over and over, if only in his mind. He knew that his father had made a deal with Kagome's father; that they would mate someday. But she was so _infuriating _that he would probably kill her before they had spent more than a day together.

She was so different from the females he was used to around the palace. All of his servants were quiet, dutiful, and would do whatever he asked of them without question. But Kagome, Kagome was different. She refused to take orders from anyone, especially from himself. As she was stubborn, perhaps more so than Sesshoumaru, meaning that the arguments they would get in could last for hours simply because neither wanted to be the one to admit defeat and end it. More than once one of their parents had to separate the two, and multiple times they had gone without supper.

He grunted and leapt into the air, his right leg horizontal, parallel to his bow staff as he jabbed another imaginary opponent who just happened to have Kagome's constant, annoyingly cheerful face. That was another thing he hated about her. She was always so happy, all the time. Unless she was arguing with him, there was always a smile plastered across her face. Everyone loved Kagome, sweet, caring, selfless Kagome. Even his father seemed to have a soft spot for the tiny slip of a girl, letting her get away with mischief in the palace that he would have been whipped for.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" The voice of a creature possibly more annoying than Kagome came wafting towards him though the sliding dojo doors, it was Jaken, his father's toad servant. He sighed, placing the bow back onto its rack.

"What is it, Jaken?" The toad demon struggled to slide open the dojo door, but did so and clamored into the room, bowing respectfully.

"The lord requests that you join him for the midday meal, if you please, Lord Sesshoumaru." He squeaked, his nose still practically scraping the floor in a bow.

"Hn," was his only, sneering response as he swept out of the room, leaving Jaken behind, still bowing.

His father, Izayoi, Inuyasha, and the brat were already seated when Sesshoumaru entered, taking his usual seat to the left of his father. Lunch was a quiet affair, with only the occasional glair across the table, and Inuyasha getting scolded for flicking rice into Sesshoumaru's hair. He couldn't wait to get away, the socialization he had to endure was killing him. Once he finished his meal, he thanked his father and rose, leaving the room without another word, as he always did.

* * *

Sesshoumaru couldn't believe how much time could change people. It seemed as if it were only yesterday that Kagome was eight years old, tugging at his hair and yelling childish insults in his ear. Ten years later she had grown into a-he hated admitting it-beautiful demoness. She no longer argued like a child, either. Whenever she was cross with him, her tongue was sharp, lashing out stinging comments almost as fast as himself. She was still maddening, however; still ever happy and cheerful, ever aggravating. 

She was currently in the sitting room, half sitting in a chair, head resting on one arm, legs slung over the other, and a small book clutched in her delicate hand. Her face was calm, relaxed, and it was clear that she was so absorbed in her book that she had yet to notice he was there. Smirking to himself, he strode over to her, relishing the fact that he could still sneak up on her. "I'm so glad you find yourself sneaky, Sesshoumaru." The girl commented, never looking up from her book. The demon slumped slightly. She had simply been ignoring him. Swiftly, he snatched the book from her hands, sun kissed eyes scanning the crisp white pages.

"Give that back, ja-ku."

"Calm down, ritoru baka, I'm just looking." He loved the look on her face, complete and utter fury. After a few drawn out moments of pretending to read her book, Sesshoumaru tossed it back to her, a smirk playing across his cold features. "I don't know how you can keep yourself entertained with such," her searched around for the right word, "rubbish."

"It is not rubbish, it's fascinating. And if you care for it so little then leave. No one asked you to be here."

"This is my home. I can be wherever I wish, when I wish it. And no impudent little girl an stop me." Kagome slammed the book shut and set it on the chair, rising to look him as square in the eye as she could, given their considerable height distance. She opened her moth to say something, then closed it again, apparently thinking better of it. Sesshoumaru reading himself to taunt her when a small hand flew across his cheek, catching him off guard for once. A growl reverberated from his chest, and he grabbed her wrist as she moved to hit him again. "Touch me again and your life will be forfeit." He released her wrist and swept out of the room, not looking back.

Both of them knew it was an empty threat. He couldn't have killed her, even if he wanted to. And if he did, his father would kill him before he could say a word in his own defense. That was how everyone in his family was. Take action now, ask questions later.

"Lord Sesshoumaru." With a growl, Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, waiting impatiently for the little toad demon to reach him. This day was just not going how he had planned it.

"Yes, Jaken?" The small green demon slumped over, huffing and clutching his staff.

"Your fat-father wants you in hi-his study, immed-immediately." The larger demon set off directly, wondering what his father could possibly want with him now.

"Enter, son." A voice echoed from inside the room, his father had obviously smelt him thorough the door. Pushing the door open, Sesshoumaru entered the dimly lit room.

"You sent for me, father?"

"Sit down, son." He did so, taking a seat in the chair across from his father with only desk, which was littered with scrolls, quills and empty inkwells, between them. He took a moment to scoff at the disorganization of his father. He had always been picky about things like that, everything being exactly where it was supposed to be, and in the correct order. "In one week's time, your mother and I will be throwing a ball celebrating your engagement to the Lady Kagome. Two days following this, you two are to be wed." His father's cool gold eyes scanned his face for any signs of a reaction which he would not let slip.

In all honesty he had not expected that their bonding would come this soon. Both he and the wench had known that it would come eventually, but eventually had always meant sometime in the distant future. Not now. Not next week. But it was, and he would handle it like he did everything. Calm, cool, and completely professional. Thoughtfully, he pondered the girl's reaction when she found out. No doubt she would throw a temper tantrum, and the entire occupants of the castle would turn up to coddle and comfort her. "Is that all, father?"

"No, son. There are matters I must discuss with you on how you must conduct yourself from now on when you are around her." Sesshoumaru nearly blanched. Here he was getting lesions on proper manners from a demon who talked with him mouth full at dinner, not caring weather or not he spayed the entire company with food in the process. "I have noticed that you and her have not been, getting along as of late," and there was the understatement of his lifetime, "and I feel there are many things that you must know before the two of you are bonded. Walk with me, son. We have much to discuss."

* * *

Kagome slumped with her back against the door, silent tears coursing down her cheeks. She wasn't sure why it had to be here. Just minutes after he fight with Sesshoumaru, her mother and entered the library and informed her that she was to marry Sesshoumaru in little over a week. Had it been anyone else, she would have accepted it for the sake of her family, but this was Sesshoumaru. Cold, distant, icicle-so-far-up-the-ass-it's-coming-out-of-his-mouth, Sesshoumaru. She had known since before she could remember that she and the older demon were to be married, but to have it thrust upon her like this, well, it was a shock. 

Raising shakily to her feet, Kagome made her slow way over to her dresser, thinking that she might as well look presentable for dinner. And, of course, for her future mate.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, the scene is set, and now the curtain closes. Good? Bad? Hate it? Love it? Please, review and I hope to bring you the next chapter soon. I am also in need of a BETA, because I am currently doing it myself, and I _suck _at editing my own work. I tend to skip over a lot of it because I already know what happens, so I miss a lot of stuff. Thank you all, I love you, and without further adieu, _adieu. _


	2. When I Come Around

**Wee…. More notes! Aren't you just thrilled? **

**1: **Chapter two. I never thought I'd make it this far! Seriously, though. I thought I would get a hundred bad reviews and would have to delete the story 'cause of crushed self-esteem.

**2: **I feel like a dunce. I really, really do. I've been informed that I misspelled a word in my rant about blatant spelling mistakes. I've been crowned the biggest moron on the face of the earth. The only excuse I can offer is that I don't have spell check on my profile page, and I was currently suffering from the stomach flue, and therefore my brain temporarily melted and oozed out my ear.

**3: **Hmm… do I own Inuyasha? Ponders for a moment I guess not… Seriously though, I own a hairbrush, a shiny ear ring, and a broken pencil; nothing even resembling Inuyasha.

**4: **I love my reviewers. It seemed that I would check how many I had, leave the computer for five minutes, and then I would have another one when I came back. It was amazing. I wish my other story would get reviews like that (Hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, cough, sneeze) ahem…

**5: **I must explain, before this goes any further, the way I envisioned demon aging. I imagined that they would grow like humans for the first twenty or so years of their lives, and then simply stop aging, or if they did, at a very, _very _slow pace. Just thought I should explain that…

* * *

**Take This to Your Grave**

CHAPTER TWO

Sesshoumaru often took recluse among the gardens. Being alone among the coy ponds and sakura trees gave him a chance to think alone that he didn't normally get. His mother had taken such a great pride and joy out of these gardens, and just walking in them made him feel as if she was right there, walking beside him. He could feel her touch in every stray pedal; hear her voice in every fresh gust of wind that rustled the trees. But as soon as he allowed himself to feel such things, he snatched them away. Such fantasies were worthless and so utterly human that they disgusted him. His mother was gone, and nothing could ever bring her back.

The mid afternoon sun beat down upon Sesshoumaru's head as he paced the very grounds he had with his father the night before, pondering his new bride. She was beautiful, no doubt; a beautiful flower with a serpent's heart. Yet, her attitude made it so difficult to even attempt to get along with her. If he could barley stand to stay in a room with her for an extended period of time, how would he be able to stand being mated with her? Sharing his bed with the very bane of his existence, having her greet him after he returned from battle? The thought was not a welcome one.

As he rounded a corner, he saw her. Her back was facing him, black hair loose and falling about her shoulders in black waves. She was clad in a soft silk kimono, bale blue in color, a color that brought out the color in her eyes according to her many maids. She was seated on the edge of a coy pond, the tips of her toes dangling in the cold water. She seemed to be completely preoccupied with something in her hands, humming a song softly to herself.

Like the day before, she chose to ignore his until he was almost upon her. "Do you make it a habit to show up unannounced and assume that you are being stealthy, or is this a newly acquired fascination?" He growled and looked down at the top of her head. She held in her hands a small, pink sakura blossom, softly twisting and caressing it as she sang. Her pale face turned to look at him, looking at her.

"Do you make it a habit to be consistently rude to your future mate?"

"When he just happens to be you, then yes." She replied defiantly, rising and throwing the blossom to the brightly colored fish, which proceeded to fight vigorously over whether or not it was edible. She started to walk away when he grabbed her hand, and then pondered what had possessed him to do so. The question was pushed from his mind as he marveled at the diminutive size of her hands. They were small and delicate, everything a princess' hands should be, and had never seen a day of work in their life.

"Walk with me, Higurashi. There are things we must discuss civilly, together." Slowly, she took up his arm and they walked together. This sudden change of attitude towards each other shocked both parties. It was like, half of them were screaming at the other person, and the other half honestly wanted to take a stab at working this out before they were actually wed.

Far above, two sets of eyes watched as the couple walked and talked, Sesshoumaru making odd hand gestures to prove some sort of point, to which Kagome would only giggle. Izayoi looked over at Sayuri, Kagome's mother, and smiled. This day would be a day for miracles.

* * *

"I do wish to make this work, Sesshoumaru, I truly do. If not for the sake of our countries than for our parents. I know we've had our differences, but I'm honestly willing to give this a try." Kagome couldn't believe it. An hour together in the gardens, and they had managed to be completely diplomatic and civil towards each other the entire time. 

"I will agree to this," Sesshoumaru started, "as long as you agree not to be so insistently annoying all the time." Little, astonished bubble suddenly popped in a rush of shattered hopes and hot air. It wasn't as if she had expected him to last even this long. It was the longest that he had lasted without an insult aimed towards her in at least five years.

"The only reason _I _am so annoying to _you, _it that you have an icicle shoved so far up your ass that it impairs you to the point where you can do nothing but be an arrogant ass." She removed her hand from the warmth of his arm and stalked off, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes for the second time in two days. Only this time, she would not let them fall. She could not give Sesshoumaru the satisfaction of letting him know he had made her cry.

He always seemed to spoil everything. It was amazing how someone so much older than her could still manage to lower himself to such childish tactics as making a girl cry. Especially since that girl was to marry him in eight days. Only eight days. It seemed like such a short time to wait before she was married. And then, there would be the bonding ritual, which would take place in Sesshoumaru's private chambers. Would he be so cold and distant towards her then? Once they were married and bound to each other until they died, would he change his demeanor?

The obvious answer was, of course, no. They had known each other for eighteen years, and would for hundreds of years to come. Why should he change now, for her? There was no reason. They would be mated, and that would be it. He would show no compassion, no feeling, not even a fondness for his life mate, nothing but apathy and resentment.

She sighed and kicked a stone with her bare foot, then let out a low hiss of pain. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. She wasn't supposed to be engaged to someone like _him. _Hell, she wasn't even supposed to be engaged at all. This was the time of her life where she was supposed to be enjoying her freedom, not waiting to be married to a stotic demon lord who's only interests were gaining the south and his whores. She was supposed to find someone she loved, much later, and marry him, and hopefully have children.

That was another thing. She was expected to produce an heir. A male heir. This would mean that she would have to share her bed with him until she did. And if their child wasn't male, then what would he do? Have her executed? Kill the pup? Simply try again? The very thought made her head spin with an abundance of possibilities, each one more terrible than the next.

The whole thing made her head hurt. Kagome didn't like being so serious, frowning and crying all the time did not sit well with her. She liked to smile, to laugh, to be happy in general. But just being near Sesshoumaru seemed to drain every ounce of happiness out of her, leaving only a cold, miserable shell behind. She let out another sigh and thought that she might head back up to the castle. Another hour and they would send a search party out looking for her.

* * *

With one mighty sweep of his sword, Sesshoumaru took out another opponent. He had been feeling particularly agitated after his latest spat with Kagome, and decided to take it out in the practice dojo, where many of his father's guards were happy to be used as adversary. The sword he was using was not deadly, of course, and was so dull it would hardly cut butter, but it would do. With a feral growl, Sesshoumaru took down another challenger, cracking him over the head and effectively knocking him unconscious. Without another word, the demon prince threw the worthless sword to the side, his anger contained, and every single one of his father's best soldiers on the floor, out cold.

* * *

"… and he's just so difficult to get along with. Just when I feel like I've made some progress with him, he turns all icy on me and blocks me out. He enjoys being difficult and getting under my skin, and I don't think he could go a day without insulting me or my family. I don't think I can take it anymore, Sango, what am I going to do?" Kagome ranted, her face buried in a pillow. 

"Weren't you part of said insults just yesterday? Why the change of outlook?"

"Well, I figured that, if we _have _to be married, then we might as well get along, right? So last night I made a resolution to try and behave civilly while around him, but he makes it so hard. It's like, whenever I'm near him, I get this hot feeling inside me, and all I want to do is yell and kick and scream until he leaves me alone. It's so infuriating. I hate him, but I really don't want to hate him. I don't want to hate anyone, but I can't help it… and now I'm rambling and putting all my silly troubles on you, and I'm sorry, Sango." She looked up at her dark haired friend, who was sitting on the edge of her bed, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

"Don't you dare say you're sorry, 'Gome. I'll always be here for you, okay. You don't need to ask or apologize when you need me. Besides, if I weren't here with you I would be in the kitchens, getting felt up by Miroku. I'm glad to say I'd rather be here."

"You wound me deep, dear Sango." Came a smooth voice from the door, and both girls looked up to see a handsome man clad in purple robes leaning against the door frame, clutching his chest and faking a pained expression.

"I'll wound you deep, alright," Sango muttered narrowing her eyes at him, "how long have you been standing there?"

"Oh, long enough," Miroku then proceeded to clasp his hands together, flutter his eyelashes, and mock in a high-pitched voice that sounded uncannily like Kagome's, "I don't want to hate him, but I can't help…" He was cut off by a hand coming down on the top of his head, leaving him seeing stars, and Kagome giggling at the sizable lump that was forming on top of his head. The pained monk rose from the ground with a triumphant grin set firmly in place. "See, I knew I could make you laugh. I live to serve the needs of women. Especially, beautiful women such as yourself…" POW. Miroku was back on the ground, this time totally unconscious. Kagome marveled for a moment, wondering how his lecherous grin could still be in place after he just got whacked over the head twice by the woman he was trying to seduce.

* * *

Sesshoumaru entered the dim library, the single candle casting an eerie glow around the room. Scanning he room, he saw what he was looking for, the book Kagome had been reading the day before. It sat, lone and innocent, upon the crimson couch. He picked it up and threw himself unceremoniously upon the cushions, opening the leather bound book to the page that was marked. 

_Through the forest have I gone.  
But Athenian found I none,  
On whose eyes I might approve  
This flower's force in stirring love.  
Night and silence.--Who is here?  
Weeds of Athens he doth wear:  
This is he, my master said,  
Despised the Athenian maid;  
And here the maiden, sleeping sound,  
On the dank and dirty ground.  
Pretty soul! she durst not lie  
Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.  
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw  
All the power this charm doth owe.  
When thou wakest, let love forbid_

It was, as he had said before, total and complete rubbish. And yet, he kept reading, his mind enthralled and intrigued by this writer he had never heard of before, and his book that belonged to his future mate. Turning the page thoughtfully, the demon lord read on.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm really surprised at how many of you like this. I didn't expect to get any reviews. So, I updated soon. What do you think, bad? Good? Hate it? Love it? Review and tell me, unless you hate it, then I don't care. The passage is from a play by William Shakespeare called A Midsummer Night's Dream. I know they didn't have Shakespeare back then, but I had to find an old writer, and were studying him now, so… ya. 

**KibaSin- **Thank you so very much. Yes this is my first Sess/Kag story. I wasn't too sure of how to have the two interact. I know they would be at each other's throats, constantly, but I wasn't too sure how to go about it. I'm glad that you like it, anyway.

**Jee- **I have a word, too… PENGUIN!

**423-93****- **I hope you're reading it now! Please review again, I'd be very, very happy!


	3. I Should Mean More

**La lalala…. Notes Noooottteeessss…. !**

1. Chapter three. Yay. I feel like this needs some sort of celebration. I know, a lot of people make it past fifty, but three is a big deal for me. Corny party hats and noise makers for everyone!

2. This one is a lot more angsty than the other two. Just thought I should warn you.

3. Yeah… just an inventory check. Laptop? Check. Brush? Check. Fuzz ball? Check. Nope, don't see Inuyasha anywhere. Therefore, I do not own him. It's as simple as that.

4. I'll give you a cookie if you can name the band who wrote the song that I got this chapter title from. Seriously. Well, maybe not a _real _cookie, but a virtual cookie. That's just as good, right?

* * *

**Take This To Your Grave**

CHAPTER THREE

Kagome glanced around the hall. It was deserted, just as it always was at this time of night. Only seven days until she married Sesshoumaru, and she was far from ready, actually, she was as far from ready as it was possible to be. Slowly, she exited the room, her hakama making a bit more noise than she would have liked. It wasn't like she was sneaking out, she just didn't want to see the look on her mother's face if she saw her in a man's clothing. Okay, so she was sneaking out, but after a day of wedding and ball preparations, she really needed some time to herself.

As she walked, Kagome took her hair ribbon from around her wrist and tied it in a loose ponytail near the bottom of her shoulder blades. To her immense joy, she found the entire castle deserted as she crept out of a side exit and out into the stable yard. Her feet padding softly across the dewy grass, Kagome crossed the yard and entered the misty stables, heading over to the farthest stall from the door. A fine black head rose over the door at her call, and gave a small whicker in greeting. "Hey Ryuu, I heard you gave Sesshoumaru a good nip in the seat today, and I brought you something." The demoness whispered, stroking the smooth onyx nose while fishing a carrot out of her pocket.

The horse happily munched the treat while Kagome massaged his ears, enjoying the company of the animal and the solace of having no one around but him. Ryuu was the most difficult horse in the western lands, letting only a few choice soldiers ride him; and that was only on good days. But Kagome had befriended the beast on one of her first visits to the West, when he had just been a colt. No one knew of this, of course. It wasn't proper for a young lady to go gallivanting around with wild stallions, as her mother put it. "Rewarding the beast for bad behavior, eh, Princess?" Came a smooth, terribly familiar voice from behind her, "No wonder he gives the soldiers such a hard time. He has a benefactor giving him treats every time he misbehaves." It was, of course, Sesshoumaru. He had obviously sensed her presence when she had past his room and come out to follow her. She should have put more effort into hiding her scent. Damn him.

"I came here to be alone, Sesshoumaru," the demon lord blinked, taking a step closer to her, "meaning without you."

"I know the meaning of the word _alone, _wench. I am simply curious as to why a dignified princess such as yourself would seek the company of such creatures. Especially at such, ungodly hours of the night." Kagome turned away from him again, running her hands along Ryuu's sleek neck while he flared his nostrils angrily at Sesshoumaru.

"If the hour is so ungodly, why did you bother to leave the comfort of your chambers and your whores to come and get me."

"I can't have my future mate running off a week before the ceremony, can I?" He said, with a smirk that made Kagome want to kiss and slap him all at once. Slap a bit more than kiss.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't. But just think of what our mother's will say. I'll be the disgrace of the kingdom, and you'll be hunted down. Not a pretty scenario, is it?" To some extent, Kagome was hurt by his words. He really didn't care if she disappeared, just about how he would look if she did so. Burying her face in Ryuu's silky mane, she tried to stop the tears that she did not want to shed.

"I should mean more to you than that, Sesshoumaru." She mumbled through the flowing mane.

"But you don't" And without another word, he swept out of the stables, leaving Kagome, shocked, in his wake.

* * *

Kagome's pillow was soaked, once again, by tears. And, once again, they had been caused by Sesshoumaru. "I'll kill him, then bring him back so he can tell you he's sorry, then kill him again, just for good measure." Sango raved as she paced the floor, Kagome once again sitting on her bed, trusty pillow clutched to her chest.

"No, Sango, please don't. I already feel like a baby coming to you like this, and then crying over him. Don't make the situation worse."

"But if I could just-"

"No. It's not your place. Besides, if mother found out, she would have you hanged, or worse. I don't want you to get hurt on my account."

Kagome wasn't even sure why his words had stung her so, but that moment kept playing over and over in her head, each word cutting into her like the lashes of a whip. _I should mean more to you, Sesshoumaru… But you don't._ Maybe it was the fact that she was willing to give her all into making the best of this, and he was so insensitive as to say he didn't care, even in the slightest. Or maybe it was the fact that she _wanted _him to care for her. After fighting with each other for years, knowing that he was there for her during the hardest part would have been nice.

But she didn't need Sesshoumaru's support. She had lived this long without it, what made now so different? Perhaps that now she was marrying him. But that didn't matter. This would be just like all of the other fights that they'd had. She would make it through alone. She didn't need him. She didn't need _him_. She _didn't _need _him. _Sighing, Kagome threw herself down on the bed. And then it hit her.

She _did _need him.

* * *

Sesshoumaru found himself pacing his chambers, once again, his head filled with thoughts of her, _again. _After returning from the stables, he had attempted to go back to be, and found that he couldn't. It was her, the one that was always there, the one that wouldn't leave him alone. She had denied him sleep. In his fury, he noticed that he had ripped a pillow to shreds, and made a mental note to get a maid to replace it.

He could smell her tears from all the way down the hall, and hear her talking to her friend. About him. It was always about him. He had caused her tears, he was the cause of her pain. And the cruel, maniacal part of him relished in that fact, soaking up the sent of her tears and the sound of her sobs as if they were air, feeding off of them. And yet, there was always that small voice in the back of his mind, that sounded suspiciously like his mother's, urging him to go and comfort her, to take her into his arms and never let her go.

There were only two occasions when he had listened to that voice. Once, when she was five, and the first time she had ever fallen off her horse, she scrapped her hands and knees, he had carried her up to the castle, and tended the wound himself, speaking soft, comforting words in her ear. The other time was when she was a newborn, as soon as she had fallen asleep, he had reused to let the infant go until she was practically ripped from him by her mother.

Those of course, had been his few weak moments. She would have to learn to live with it now, as they would soon be spending almost every waking hour together, even sharing his bed. The girl would have to learn to be less sensitive and not take everything he said to heart. He didn't need his mate constantly angry with him, growling at him when he returned from battle or retired to his chambers. A female's job was to comfort her male, assist him when needed, not speak unless spoken to, and be altogether submissive. And Sesshoumaru was sure she would have trouble with listening to him, accepting his dominance for the first time in her life would be most difficult for her.

But it would be fun for him, so very fun.

* * *

_She was in a field. The sun was beating down on her, long, wild grass tickled her thighs, and she was completely content. A dusting of wild flowers were scattered among the long blades of grass, adding hints of purples, reds, and blues to the dusty greens and browns. Kagome bent down to pick one of the flowers, and another. She was making a bouquet, gathering the prettiest blossoms in the field for someone. But who?_

_And there was Sesshoumaru, standing tall on the other side of the field. She was, elated, to see him. She ran towards him, the dry stems of the flowers clutched in her small hand, and he seemed to open his arms to welcome her. Reaching his large form, she snuggled deep into his chest, inhaling the soft scent of expensive oils and soaps, and what smelled like peppermint. Kagome looked up at him, a smile on her face, that faded when she saw his cloudy expression. _

_With a cry, she was knocked to the ground, her flowers falling from her hand. "Do not touch me, you insolent wench. You are a fool to think I could ever care for you. A childish fool." She started to sob as he vanished, and bent low to puck up the fallen and crumpled flowers, holding them to her face. _

Kagome sat straight upright in her bed, beads of sweat dripping down her face and panting heavily. It was all a dream, she realized, not real. But it was real, in some form. She was a fool to even think he could care for her, even in the slightest. It was futile. The demoness laid back down, closing her eyes and willing sleep to claim her again.

_I should mean more to you, Sesshoumaru…_

_But you don't…

* * *

**A/N: **And with that depressing note, I shall leave you. I apologize for the length, but I'm going through sort of a rough period, and wanted to get this done so I wouldn't have a half finished chapter just sitting on my computer. One of my best friends tried to commit suicide and is currently in the hospital, and I will be spending a lot of time with him, so don't expect another chapter too soon. I'm sorry, once again._


	4. Everybody's Fool

**Notish things:**

**1: **Yes, my friend is better, and that means I'M BAAACCCKKKK! (Can't you just imagine the guy from The Shining, or Chucky or someone saying that just then? It's creepy.)

**2: **This is the only time when I can say I do not own. Other than this one time, and all of the other times I have to say it, I own all of you. BUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Mass ownage!

**3: **Not many notes this time, it's kinda depressing.

**4: **This chapter gets kinda mature near the middle, nothing to explicit, just Sesshoumaru being perverted. If you don't like it, don't read it.

* * *

**Take This To Your Grave**

CHAPTER FOUR

The courtyard was abandoned as Kagome entered it, the midday sun high in the sky on the fifth day before she was to marry Sesshoumaru. It was clear that each of them were already feeling the pressure. Just that morning, after breakfast, he had snapped at her for breathing too loudly And she had retaliated by commenting on how annoying the way he turned the pages of his book was. Finally she felt as if she would snap if she didn't get a moment to herself, and had fled the castle, just as she had the night before.

Stretching her arms far above her head, Kagome concentrated as hard as she could, until she could feel the limbs stretching far beyond their usual capacity. Onyx fur grew from every part of her body, and her clothed disappeared. Soon, there was a large black dog, standing where the princess had just moments before, so large that the princess' head would just barley have brushed its underbelly. This was not as large as it could grow, but if she had grown to her normal size, she wouldn't have enough room for the romp around the court yard she desperately needed.

With an echoing bark, the large dog bounded around on the soft grass, rolling around like a pup, letting out a little yip of joy. Before she could get too far into it, the princess caught a whiff of something oddly familiar, though she couldn't remember where she had smelled it before. Getting up again, Kagome rose her head to the wind, trying to detect where the odd scent was coming from.

It seemed to be coming from the forest. And, sure enough, just as Kagome was about to go investigate, a large wolf strode out of the shadows, just a bit bigger than herself, followed by several, smaller ones. She immediately recognized him as Kouga, Prince of the East. With a howl of joy, the dusky brown wolf and the raven black dog threw themselves at each other, licking their faces and whimpering in their excitement. She hadn't seen Kouga since she was fourteen, when she had held a hopeless crush on him, and him on her.

But those times had past, and now the only thing left of their very short relationship was that Kouga still called Kagome 'my woman' which she didn't mind at all, in fact, she thought it was kind of cute. She transformed back first, then he did, and they embraced properly. He stood almost as tall as Sesshoumaru, but not as powerfully built. His tanned limbs were strong and lithe, his long black hair pulled back into a high ponytail, away from his pointed ears, tiny fangs poked over his lips thin lips, and his eyes were a cool cobalt blue. "Oh, Kouga! It's so good to see you! What are you doing here?"

"Just came to see if that dog was treating you right. And besides, how could I miss my only woman's bonding ceremony?" She giggled at the tone of his voice and embraced him again, a few of the other wolves moving up to greet Kagome as well.

* * *

From the shadows of the castle entrance, Sesshoumaru fumed. His sun kissed eyes narrowed as he watched Kagome, his future mate, hug that _wolf_, as he herd him call her his woman. No matter how much he hated it, she was his, damnit, his. This wolf would die for daring to touch what was his. Stepping out of the shadows, he let a feral growl escape his lips, and his vision went red. All eyes were upon him as his fangs elongated, his ears grew, and his limbs stretched and he transformed into a massive white dog, larger than Kagome, or even Kouga could ever hope to be. His eyes scanned the world at his feet, focusing on one figure in particular, that damn wolf. His thoughts were as follows…

_Wolf touched mate. Wolf must die. Will protect mate. Mate is mine._

Sesshoumaru raised a paw to crush the wolf when he jumped out of the way, transforming into the dark brown wolf once again. Kagome, too, transformed, launching herself onto Sesshoumaru and latching onto one of his ears in an attempt to subdue him. Kouga was on the defensive, waiting to see if an attack was needed, but the rest of his pack had scattered. With a yelp, Sesshoumaru threw Kagome off of him and launched himself at the wolf, who promptly fell to the ground, howling in anger and pain.

As attacking him obviously wasn't working, Kagome decided to try a totally different approach. She threw herself in front of Kouga, crouching low on the ground and exposing her neck to Sesshoumaru in the classic sign on submission. This was a last resort for Kagome. She knew Kouga wouldn't last in a battle with Sesshoumaru in his bloodlust state. Submitting to a male ment admitting he had dominance over her, which was something she had never wanted to do. But if it was a choice between Kouga's life, and her dominance, she would choose Kouga's life.

The act seemed to soothe the beast that was currently Sesshoumaru, and, throwing one last glance at the panting wolf, he lowered his jaws to his 'mate's neck and picked her up, gently, as a mother would her pup. He walked away, Kagome hanging limply from his jaws, and into the murk depths of the forest. Once out of sight of the castle, Sesshoumaru transformed back, as did Kagome, so that he was carrying her caviler style. She could tell by the redness of his eyes that he had yet to come out of his bloodlust state, and thought it best not to move, and to just let him carry her wherever he pleased. He would just drop her when he woke up anyway.

He apparently found what he was looking for, because he stopped. Daring to look around, Kagome saw that they were in a clearing, not to large, and completely hidden by the lush canopy above their heads. Sesshoumaru placed her gently to the ground and went down with her, snuffling her clothes for any sign of Kouga's scent. He growled when he found it, and tore away the piece of clothing that bared it, making her gasp. The left half of her kimono was gone, leaving part of her stomach and breast exposed to the youkai.

When she tried to cover it up, he gave a possessive growl and patted her hands away, nuzzling the patch of bare skin with his nose, and not liking the fact that the wolf's scent still lingered there. Kagome was in shock. She had never seen Sesshoumaru like this before, treating her like she really was going to be his mate, and not just some whore his parents were forcing him to marry. She gasped when his rough, warm tongue slipped out of his mouth, and licked the exposed skin, covering it with his scent. With a growl of satisfaction, Sesshoumaru moved to her right breast, signifying his displeasure at the mangy wolf's scent being strongest there.

As he had before, he tore away the fabric with one swipe of his claws, bending to suckle and lick the appendage until it, too, bared his scent. By this time, Kagome was panting, unwillingly responding to the attention to her breast. She knew Sesshoumaru would most likely murder her when he came to, but it was worth having him like this for a little while. She never knew Sesshoumaru's beast would be like this; so concerned that everyone knew she belonged to him, that she would carry his scent and his alone. But, then again, that could just be his possessiveness shining through. He had always been like that, defending what was his no matter what it took, which is one of the reasons why all of the women in the castle thought he would be the perfect mate.

His licks and kisses moved downward, ripping the fabric as he went, to the point where he dipped his tongue into her belly button. Kagome gasped and arched up into his mouth, earning a pleased noise from Sesshoumaru. Her torso was now completely bare as he moved back up, sending little shocks up her body as he did so. She wanted to stop him. Wanted to, but found that she couldn't. It was either let him do as he pleased while he was like this, or try to stop him and get torn to pieces. It was hard to believe that this feral, caring, possessive beast was the same Sesshoumaru who was arguing with her over the color of the drapes earlier that morning.

His mouth was now at her shoulder, suckling the place where he would place his mark, once they were mated, of course. It was then that she noticed just how much larger than her he truly was. His knees were on either side of her legs, pinning them together, and his body hovered over her, allowing him complete access to any part of her that he wished. His hands ever over hers, the long fingers able to completely encase hers and then some. They were at eyelevel now, Sesshoumaru's red eyes penetrating her cerulean blue ones.

With a gasp of surprise, Kagome saw the red melting away, giving way to his normal golden yellow. He was coming to, she thought, fear flooding through her, wondering what he would think if he came to and she was beneath him, nearly naked. His head gave a little shake, and the demon looked down at Kagome with something between anger and confusion. The expression changed ever so slightly as his eyes grazed her body, then back up to meet her frightened gaze. With a look of disgust, Sesshoumaru pushed himself off of her.

"Put this on. I don't want an explanation as to why we were in such a position. I don't want to see you for the rest of the day, do I make myself clear?" Sesshoumaru asked, throwing her his haori. Kagome nodded silently and slipped it on, but it was so large that it slipped off her shoulders, the bottom part at her knees, ad the sleeves consumed her arms, trailing the ground. Sesshoumaru had left the clearing, not caring how suspicious he would look if he had gone into the forest with Kagome, and left bare-chested, with Kagome wearing his clothes.

Kagome followed soon after, only to accosted by a very worried Kouga. He took it upon himself to comment on the fact that he was going to 'rip that dog apart' on her behalf, and growled at the fact that she was wearing his clothes. Kagome smiled to herself. It was nice to have someone who cared this much for her in their right minds, and not just when they were out of it.

* * *

Sesshoumaru was furious. No, he wasn't furious, he was downright incensed. How could he have lost control like that? With a scowl, he sent a punch flying at the dummy before him, effectively tearing a hole through the neck. The last thing he remembered was the wolf touching that, damn slip of a woman, and then, he was above her, and he had apparently stripped her of most of her clothes in his demon state. What infuriated him even more was that his demon obviously found her a suitable mate, otherwise he would have never felt the need to make her smell like him as he did.

He sent another blow at the dummy, this time sending its head flying across the dojo. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself, of his actions. Ravishing a girl who he hated, who hate him, while he was in his bloodlust state was not something he could be proud of. And his father would probably be waiting inside to lecture him on how he could have harmed her, or even killed her. Though, Sesshoumaru thought he could have stood it more if he had injured her, even killed her, anything but accepted her as his future mate. The very thought sent a path of involuntary shivers down his spine. But, if his youkai found the girl a suitable mate, why couldn't he?

That was easy. She was loud, annoying, defiant, beautiful, intelligent, passionate… Sesshoumaru growled in frustration and tore the dummy to shreds, leaving the dojo in a huff to find his father.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter was unbelievably hard to write. I'm not sure why, but writing Sesshoumaru in character is becoming more and more difficult. Sorry, once again for the long wait, the next one should be out sooner, though. 


	5. The Art Of Confusion

**This is where my cheesy introduction to the notes is supposed to go…**

**1: **Wee! I've got fifty reviews! I looked at the number and there were thirty three, and I left for an hour, came back, and there were over forty! I can't believe it, you like me your really like me! And now I just had to change the number to fifty! This is starting to get a bit annoying. Not that I'm complaining, but I keep having to change the number in this note. It's a pain in the ass.

**2: **The song Kagome sings in here is _You Must Love Me_ from _Evita._ It's a good song, you should listen to it when you read this chapter, it sets the mood in a way.

**3: **Inuyasha is currently the object of my desire. Thus, I don't have him yet.

**4: **I wrote this while listening to music from Evita, so forgive me if it's a bit odd/different.

**5: **I feel like I need to give a special shout out to Notes-and-Photographs. Why? Because she won the virtual cookie, and the prize for my longest review yet. I do love Jamisonparker, so you don't just sound like a raving lunatic. I LUV U

**6: **This one is extra fluffy, if not a bit OOC, in light of Valentines Day. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did writing it.

* * *

**Take This To Your Grave**

CHAPTER FIVE

Kagome sighed, trying to hide her disappointment and sadness. Four days until she was to marry Sesshoumaru, and he hadn't even looked her way since the incident in the forest the day before. Her, Sango, and Kilala were at the hot springs, and had been since the early hours of the afternoon, just before guests began arriving for a the ball, and, of course, for her wedding. Sesshoumaru's father had invited them to come early, and was throwing a formal dinner in their honor. "Kagome, don't be difficult, we have to make you smell good for Sesshoumaru." Sango reasoned, trying to hold the struggling princess still while Kilala smeared oils that smelled of apples and cinnamon all over her body.

"Sango, you know as well as I that Sesshoumaru doesn't give two shits about what I smell like." Kagome lied, remembering his antics in the forest the other day, "He wouldn't care if I smelled like what the servants clean off the bottoms of his boots."

"Then we'll _make_ him care, love. You'll have him drooling for you by the end of the night." Kilala said, lathering soaps in Kagome's hair that made her nose itch.

"I'll remember to bring him a napkin, then." Kagome replied sarcastically, rising and stepping out of the spring and wrapping a towel around her body, closely followed by Sango and Kilala. They proceeded to follow her into her chambers, all of them receiving odd looks because of their lack of anything but towels for clothing. "Come on, 'Gome, we need to get you dressed."

Kagome sat in a chair, shaking her head vigorously to rid it of water as Kilala and Sango fought over which kimono she should wear. Sango held up a white kimono that looked like the one that Sesshoumaru always wears, lined with red and gold lotus blossoms, and a black obi. Kilala held up an orange and purple one, with white butterflies placed at random spots on the fabric, and a white obi. "Which one, 'Gome?" Sango asked sweetly.

"Look, I don't care. Fight it out among yourselves." And so they did. Yelling, rude hand gestures, hair pulling, insults, the whole nine yards.

"MIROKU-KUN!" Kagome yelled, and, sure enough, a certain lecherous monk's head peaked out from around the door frame, looking scared. "Good. Now, since these two can't decide like civil people, which one should I wear?" Miroku looked deep in thought, even scratching his chin for effect.

Finally, he shrugged. "Why wear a kimono?" Then grinned as all three women smacked him. "Alright, alright, I get it. Ummm.. wear the white one. The gold and red will compliment your skin more than the purple and orange." And with that, he left the room.

Sango let out a triumphant laugh and pulled away Kagome's towel, thrusting the kimono over her head. "Does Miroku realize just how much of a woman he sounded like when he said that?" Kagome asked herself, helping Kilala tie the obi around her waist.

"Am I the only one here who would find it fun to cut of everything that makes him a man, and help him be more womanly?" Both Kilala and Kagome looked at Sango like she was insane, and Sango shrugged. "I guess so…"

"There! You look beautiful, Lady Kagome." Kilala flashed a grin at Kagome and mock bowed. Kagome aimed a half-hearted blow at Kilala and stepped in front of her mirror that hung on the wall. It was true, the kimono was beautiful, but what was the use? Sesshoumaru didn't give a flying fuck about how she looked, or what she smelled like, or even if she was there. What was the point of making her look her best if the one who she was supposed to be with forever didn't care?

"It's beautiful, thank you, Kilala, Sango." Kagome made to dismiss them, but Sango rushed to her side and pushed her into a chair.

"Oh no you don't. We still have to do something with your hair." Sango said, running he fingers through said raven locks with something close to envy on her face.

"You've just been waiting to do this, haven't you?" Kagome teased, leaning back in the chair and letting Sango and Kilala have their fun with her hair. No one spoke a word as they worked, and, after almost a half hour, Kagome started to get nervous. Knowing Sango, she was doing something that was permanent, and would embarrass her to no end. And, if she didn't trust Kilala to keep Sango from doing anything too horrible, Kagome would have stopped her a long time ago.

"There. Every male in that room will have to hold their jaws to keep them from dropping. You look stunning, 'Gome-chan." Sango exclaimed, hoisting her up by her arms and pushing her friend in front of the mirror once again. Her friends had placed he hair up in an intricate twist hear the nape of her neck, with a strand of hair still hanging in her face. She truly looked the part of a princess, and Lord Sesshoumaru's intended.

"Thanks guys. I can't help but feel like you're living through me when you do this." Sango giggled and pushed Kagome out of the door.

"Go, enjoy yourself, mingle with the upper classes, and bring me back a piece of lord Akito's hair." Kilala laughed, giving Kagome one lat shove down the hall and retreating to her own chambers.

Everyone was already in the dining hall when Kagome arrived at the hall, Sesshoumaru waiting for her at the entrance. They were supposed to make their grand entrance together. His cold eyes looked her up and down, making her feel suddenly very self-conscious. Giving a small nod, he offered her his arm. She let out a sigh of relief and took it, placing her hand delicately in the crook of his elbow. The polite talk stopped as Kagome and Sesshoumaru appeared at the doorway, and suddenly, all eyes were upon them. They managed to descend the small stair gracefully enough, which was a feat in itself considering Kagome's natural clumsiness.

Everyone in the room stood as they entered, only taking their seats when Sesshoumaru took his seat to the right of his father, and Kagome on his right. She sighed as everyone's eyes now turned to Lord Tashio, waiting for him to speak and take his first bite so all of them could eat. They were no longer the center of attention, the hard part was over. Lord Tashio stood and extended his arms out, gesturing around the hall. "My friends, revered lords and ladies from all corners of the nation, greetings. I'm sure you all know why you are here, except perhaps the Lord Riko," An appreciative chuckle rippled around the table at the Lord's joke about the exceptionally old lizard demon, that made it a constant habit to forget what the was doing half way through doing it. "My son, Sesshoumaru, is to be wed to the Lady Kagome in four days time,

"I'm sure you will all recall their engagement announcement ten years ago, and have all been waiting for the time when they would finally be mated. The time, I think, has finally come, and I feel like I should be the first so say," the demon lord reached for his cup which had been filled with sake, "here's to Kagome and Sesshoumaru, and their long, happy life together." He drank deeply an sat down, everyone around the table following suit, a few clapping, a few cheering even. Kagome could feel her cheeks growing hot. How could she be expected to live a long and happy life with someone who hated her with a passion? The whole matter was very confusing, so, being herself, the young demoness decided to drown her confusion in the only salvation she had left. Food.

* * *

Sesshoumaru almost let his breath catch in his throat when he saw her enter the room. She looked absolutely breathtaking in a white kimono, lined with red and gold, and tied with a black obi. As she took his arm, his numb mind registered that he was wearing his colors, white red and gold. Her maids had no doubt done that on purpose. She also smelled delectable, like a mixture of fruits and some spice he could not place. The fabric clung to her pale skin, outlining every curve of her body and making it very hard for Sesshoumaru to keep his composure. 

All eyes were upon them as they descended the stair, Kagome holding his arm a bit harder than she should have, presumably to keep her balance and not embarrass herself. She had always been a clumsy little thing. Sesshoumaru had to hold back a growl at all of the eyes fixed upon them. Though he tried to tell himself that it was the insolence of the lower lords for staring at him, but, deep inside, he knew the real reason. He wanted each and every one of them to keep their eyes off of Kagome, and gouge out the eyes of the damn wolf for daring to even breathe near her.

They took their seats, and his father stood for the traditional prattle he called a speech. As usual, it was gag-worthy. His father made a tasteless joke about the old demon, Riko, and everyone laughed, at the risk of having their heads ripped off if they didn't. Glancing over to his side, Sesshoumaru noticed Kagome eating like she wouldn't live to see another plate of food again. Perhaps her maids had forbidden her to eat that day to make her look thinner for the feast. It was disgusting, when wenches starved themselves for the sake of looking thin. It was utterly unattractive, and the thought of Kagome starving herself made him almost growl again.

The youkai leaned back in his seat, taking a small sip of his sake as he observed the rest of the company without much interest. Lord Akito was in what seemed like a particularly absorbing conversation with one of the ladies of his court that he had brought along. The wolf was in a loud argument with the Lady Ayame over something insignificant. Lord Riko looked about ready to fall asleep face-first in his soup. And Inuyasha looked sulky.

The only thing that really caught his attention was the mentioning of Kagome's name. He was on his third glass of sake, and had toughed nothing of his food, when his ears picked up a bit of the Lord Jiro's conversation with the Lord Ryuu. "_Oh, yes. My daughter, Kagome, has the most lovely singing voice." _Sesshoumaru was puzzled. Singing? He had never heard her sing. Could she sing? Looking down at the female in question, he saw that her cheeks had turned a delicate shade of pink, apparently hearing her father's praise. _"I'm sure she'd be willing to sing something for us. After the feast is done, I'll have her perform one of her songs." _The girl went even redder and sunk low in her chair, apparently hoping it would suddenly open and swallow her whole.

Sesshoumaru let out an undetectable snort. Of course, it was just like the Lord Jiro to speak for other people when they didn't want or need to be spoken for. Suddenly, the content babble of happy, well fed people died down, and glancing around, Sesshoumaru saw that Jiro was standing and gesturing for silence. He sat up in his seat, eyeing the embarrassed girl beside him. If anything, this would be amusing.

"My lords and ladies, now that we have all been fed and quenched, I would like to present the entertainment for the evening. I will ask my daughter to please stand, and give us a song." All eyes were now upon her, and she had no choice but to rise from her seat. "Kagome, if you will." The company waited with baited breath, waiting impatiently for her to begin. After a deep breath, she began the song. Quiet at first, then louder, with more confidence.

_Where do we go from here?  
This isn't where we intended to be  
We had it all, you believed in me  
I believed in you _

Certainties disappear  
What do we do for our dream to survive?  
How do we keep all our passions alive,  
As we used to do?

Deep in my heart I'm concealing  
Things that I'm longing to say  
Scared to confess what I'm feeling  
Frightened you'll slip away

You must love me  
You must love me

Why are you at my side?  
How can I be any use to you now?  
Give me a chance and I'll let you see how  
Nothing has changed

_Deep in my heart I'm concealing  
Things that I'm longing to say  
Scared to confess what I'm feeling  
Frightened you'll slip away _

You must love me  
You must love me  
You must love me

A pregnant silence filled the room, all in shock. Kagome had the voice of an angel. Sweet and pure. Even Sesshoumaru was surprised. To break the silence, the wolf rose from his seat, clapping loudly. Soon, everyone else followed suit, all clapping and cheering for their princess. The stoic demon lord even let himself rise to his feet and bring his hands together once or twice, reluctantly admitting that it was the best thing he had ever herd. Once they all sat down again, Sesshoumaru had to restrain himself, once again, from tearing the wolf from limb to limb for daring to look at her, and even have the audacity to claim to everyone within ear shot that she was 'his woman'.

The cheerful talk ensued. It was normal for demon feasts to be like this, lasting into the early hours of the morning, long after everyone had finished more than enough food. The lords often didn't stop talking until one of them fell asleep, or lord Riko fainted from the exertion of keeping a conversation. Sesshoumaru even found himself engaging in a conversation with the lord Akito over the punishments of criminals. He felt that anyone caught in the act of a crime should be beheaded on the spot, but Akito disagreed with him. The hawk demon felt that it depended on the crime. "Should a murder be charged with the same punishment as a thief? If someone was idiotic enough to let someone rob them, it's their own fault. A murder, on the other hand, is a completely different case."

On and on they went, for some time, until Jiro finally broke up the soon turned argument with a simple statement that they would both be lords of their own lands, and could decide to punish criminals any way they pleased. Suddenly, a thought struck him. Kagome, who would have normally talked his ears off by now, hadn't said a word to him, to anyone, since she sang. He looked down at her and found her head lolling on her chest. Giving her a wary sniff, he pulled back with alarm. She had fallen asleep, in the middle of a feast.

Seeing Sesshoumaru's reaction to the girl, other people started noticing, too. "Someone should take her to her chambers." The wolf suggested, looking hopeful.

"Touch her, and I'll make sure you cant touch anything for a very, very long time." Sesshoumaru hissed, rising from his chair. "I will take her. I was thinking of retiring to my chambers anyhow." Gently, the youkai pulled her chair away from the table, and, with a tenderness he didn't know he could posses, lifted her from it.

Sesshoumaru could feel they eyes of the other on the back of his form as he left the hall, the girl secure in his arms, one hand under her knees and the other under her back. Her face as calm and peaceful, every one of her features more relaxed than he had ever seen them before. Her raven hair hung from her head in limp curls, her hair having came down earlier in the evening. She was, undoubtedly, beautiful, one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. If only she wasn't so infuriating, so irritating, he might be able to stand being with her forever.

He pushed his way into her private chambers, placing her upon her bed with the utmost care. The girl moaned in her sleep, stirring a bit. One of her arms lunged out and grabbed hold of the pelt over his shoulder, clenching the soft fur with an iron grip. "Sesshou." She muttered, letting him loose and rolling over so her back was to him. With the tiniest of smiles, Sesshoumaru removed the white pelt and wrapped it around the girl's body. She visibly grinned in her sleep, snuggling further into the warmth of the fur, which tightened around her.

The demon watched his intended with something close to adoration on his face. Perhaps, he thought, being mated to this girl wouldn't be quite so bad.

* * *

**A/N: **Not too sure if I like this one. It's longer than all of my others by far, but I'm not too sure about it. I wrote the last half in about thirty minutes, so forgive me if it sounds rushed. I really wanted it to be out today. This is one of those chapters that I will probably rewrite when this is done. Oh well, I guess I'll have to live with it for now. 


	6. Chasing Anger

**Notes (The authoress has finally run out of creative ways to introduce them… I NEED IDEAS PEOPLE!) **

**1: **I just ate like, fifteen Oreos, and now I'm REALLY hyper. Like, bouncing in my seat hyper. You don't want to be too close to me when I'm hyper, I get scary. Ask anyone who knows me.

**2: **This is crucial to your reading experience: HEAD AND SHOULDERS, KNEES AND TOES, KNEES AND TOES! HEAD AND SHOULDERS KNEES AND TOES, KNEES AND TOES! EYES AND EARS AND MOUTH AND NOSE! HEAD AND SHOULDERS, KNEES AND TOES, KNEES AND TOES! ahem just thought you ought to know that.

**3: **I sniff do not sniff own… cries

**4: **Wow that was lame… I'm really running out of ideas here people…

**5: **This might be the last one for a while… the same friend is having more issues with suicide again, and is in the hospital, again. I'm very sorry.

**6: **More meaningless fluff. This one is more of a filler chapter than anything, kind of boring actually.

* * *

**Take This To Your Grave**

CHAPTER SIX

Kagome opened her eyes, feeling very warm and comfortable. Yet, she wasn't under her comforters. In fact, she didn't remember getting into bed last night at all. Sitting up, she felt something curl itself around her and saw Sesshoumaru's white pelt encasing her small form. Kagome was confused. How had it gotten there, and as a matter of fact, how in he hell had she gotten there? Sesshoumaru wouldn't willingly give her his pelt, would he? Such an act would be below him, and he wouldn't lower himself to doing something that would actually benefit her, it was unheard of. Yes, that was true. It must be someone else's, like Lord Tashio's. He wore one like Sesshoumaru's, perhaps he had taken her up to her rooms and given her his pelt because he did not want to wake her by going through the trouble of putting her comforters over her.

She sighed and slipped from the bed, reluctantly leaving the pelt on the bed behind her, and stretched. Tomorrow was the ball, and then, the two day ceremony was to begin. The first day was something of a bonding day for the couple. The male would wake the female and help her dress, then they would take breakfast alone, and spend the rest of the day alone together, taking all of their meals in the male's private chambers. Then she would be off with every female in the castle, and Sesshoumaru with every male, for the preparation. And then, they would be mated, both physically and legally.

It was nice to be by herself for a while, not having someone waiting on her hand and foot, Kagome thought as she wrapped a simple pink and blue kimono around her, and fastened the ties. Slowly, she turned to look at the pelt, curled innocently on the bed, and walked over to it. Thinking she would give it back to Lord Tashio, Kagome wrapped the pelt around her shoulders and left the room. It was so warm, as if it had a life of its own, clinging to her and drawing itself closer to her body. Faintly, she wondered if it did this when he wore it. The pelt always looked so limp, like it was just that, a pelt. But this was amazing, this was alive, and it was wonderfully comfortable.

All eyes turned to her as she entered the breakfast hall, still marveling at the length of fur wrapped around her. She ignored them, however, and took her usual seat beside where Sesshoumaru was supposed to sit. His chair, however, was conspicuously empty. Kagome paid no mind to it, however, and proceeded to devour her meal, the fur as firmly attached as ever, and hindering her movement just a bit.

When, half way through the meal, there were still eyes on her, Kagome looked up from her food to stare back at Kouga, one of the one still looking at her. "Am I so fascinating that you see fit to stare at me while I'm eating?" She half joked.

The wolf gave her a-for the lack of a better word-wolfish grin. "Why are you wearing the dog's pelt?" Kouga half smirked, half growled as she sniffed the air experimentally.

"I don't know, honestly. I woke up with it wrapped around me, and I put it back on to give it back, and it won't let go now." The demoness explained. She demonstrated by trying to remove one end from her arm, and she could almost hear it growl as it wrapped itself tighter around her. "Wait a second, 'dog breath'? As in Sesshoumaru?" Kouga wouldn't dare disrespect Lord Tashio like that. Therefore, it must be Sesshoumaru's. "Kouga, what happened last night?"

"Well, it's a funny story actually. You fell asleep at the dinner table," Kagome blushed hard and sunk into her seat. Falling asleep in the middle of dinner; in the middle of a feast being thrown in her honor? It was embarrassing beyond belief. "And Sesshoumaru got all possessive and volunteered to take you back to your rooms, and carried you out." Kagome froze. Sesshoumaru had carried her to her room, actually volunteered to touch her, and then given her his pelt to sleep with. Every last piece of that was un-Sesshoumaru like. This ment next time she saw him, she would have to thank him, and give the pelt back, which, in itself would not be an easy task.

"Speak of the devil," Kagome muttered as Sesshoumaru sashayed into the dining hall, an unreadable expression on his face. "Good morning Sesshoumaru." He merely glanced at her, and nodded his head to show he heard and acknowledged her greeting. As he made to sit next to her, he seemed to do a double take, looking at her longer this time, and taking in the fact that she was still wearing his pelt. "Oh, I'm guessing you'll be wanting this back, then?" Sesshoumaru nodded and Kagome blushed. "Well, it's a funny story. I, well, I can't get it off."

With a sigh, Sesshoumaru reached out a long fingered hand and gently stroked the fur lining Kagome's arm. The pelt gave a small sigh and loosened its grip, enough so that Sesshoumaru could lift it off of her. He draped it over his shoulder, and Kagome felt suddenly bare at its loss. Nevertheless, Kagome turned back to her food and continued eating the best she could. This was difficult for the simple fact that she could feel Sesshoumaru's piecing gaze on the side of her head as she ate, which made her uncomfortable to say the least.

Kagome could almost hear him smirk as she squirmed under his gaze. Why the hell was he staring at her? Had she committed some sort of a crime, some sort of offense against his person? Soon, she became just a bit too uncomfortable, and stood. Looking at Kouga, she forced a smile that she knew must look strained, "I'll see you later, alright?" and without waiting for a answer, Kagome fled the room.

* * *

Sesshoumaru had to restrain himself from growling, again, at the damn wolf as he stared as _his _Kagome. That mongrel needed to have his eyes gouged out, possibly feed to him afterwards. He hadn't suspected that she would wear his pelt to breakfast, so he had gone to her room to fetch it. When he found both the pelt and Kagome gone, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but sniff around for a moment. It still sent shivers down his spine when he thought of her delectable apple and cinnamon scent mingling with his own. It hung thick in the air, but concentrated around her bed, which sent blood rushing where it certainly did not need to be. In any case, he had showed up to breakfast in a foul mood, half aggravated with the fact that she decided to take the fur with her, and half angry at himself for letting her scent affect him so. 

Even now, as he watched her hips sway as she left the room, he felt a sudden desire rise within him. He wasn't sure when this occurred; when he had started thinking of her as 'his,' became possessive of her, as if she were his mate already. Perhaps it was the approaching ceremony, or something else, but his demon blood had been triggered-the way his pelt, which was as much a part of him as his hair, had reacted was proof of that-and now recognized her as his intended. To tell the truth, Sesshoumaru didn't know if that was good or bad. And the very thought of being confused, of being torn between acceptance and hatred, was enough to make him furious.

No longer hungry, the irritated demon pushed himself away from the table and left the hall, following Kagome out of the hall. They needed to have a talk. A very long talk.

* * *

Kagome was, once again, in the library. It was her sanctuary; where she went to think when she needed to be alone. Currently, her face was buried in a book of poetry, some of her old favorites. As she read, she began to lose herself in the brilliance, the swirl of words rolling off her tongue and playing themselves for only her to hear. 

"_The brooding ghosts of Australian night have gone from the bush and town;  
My spirit revives in the morning breeze,  
though it died when the sun went down;  
The river is high and the stream is strong,  
and the grass is green and tall,  
And I fain would think that this world of ours is a good world after all."_

_The light of passion in dreamy eyes, and a page of truth well read,  
The glorious thrill in a heart grown cold of the spirit I thought was dead,  
A song that goes to a comrade's heart, and a tear of pride let fall --  
And my soul is strong! and the world to me is a grand world after all!"_

_Let our enemies go by their old dull tracks,  
and theirs be the fault or shame  
(The man is bitter against the world who has only himself to blame) ;  
Let the darkest side of the past be dark, and only the good recall;  
For I must believe that the world, my dear, is a kind world after all…"_

She often read out loud to herself like this, when she was alone. It was soothing, and much like when her mother used to read to her when she was little. This particular poem was her favorite, and one she could practically recite in her sleep. Yet, it was still new and beautiful each time she read it, as if it changed with every re-reading. She was cut off, however, by the scent of someone trying, and failing to hide themselves. "Come on out, Sesshoumaru. Say what you want to me, just please leave the book alone." And there he cam, waltzing out of the shadows with an annoying smirk on his face.

"You read beautifully, dear, almost as well as you sing." Kagome gasped when she saw his red tinted eyes. This was his demon speaking, and Sesshoumaru had no control of anything that it said or did. Perhaps her smelling a bit like him after wearing his pelt had something to do with it. What puzzled her was that he could talk, and it seemed like he wasn't too primal. The true Sesshoumaru was still near the surface. And it scared her.

"Why are you here?" She asked a little shakily, looking up at him with frightened eyes. He took a few slow steps towards her, eyes flickering between crimson and molten gold.

"This is my home, Ka-go-me, I can be anywhere I want to." The way he said her name sent more involuntary shivers though her body once again. He took another step closer, and then another, and another, until he was standing directly above her. His white hair plumed around both of them like a curtain and he leaned forward slightly, gripping her arm tightly. "And I can have anything I want." And whit that said, he pulled her up, and pressed his lips to hers.

An electric shock was sent through Kagome's body, and danger signs flashed before her eyes. But, as she tried to pull away, he let out a little growl and clamped an iron arm around her slim waist, effectively driving her closer and whipping every thought of pulling away out of her mind. Her book dropped to the floor with a dull thump as Kagome moved her arms to wrap them around his neck. It felt weird, kissing someone who was her worst enemy six days ago, and actually enjoying it. Half of her mind was screaming at her to pull away and run, not willing to face his wrath when he remembered what they had done. And the other half, the winning half, was telling her to lean in, enjoy the moment, and possible cop a feel while she was at it.

* * *

**A/N: **Another chapter dead and gone. Personally, I didn't like it. But I guess my opinion doesn't really matter. What do you think? Too soon for the first kiss? Likey? No likey? I need to know these things people! 


	7. Emotionless

**I have officially run out of ways to introduce these in an interesting way…**

**1: **I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I think it will show.

**2: **I was blown away with the amount of reviews I got from the time I checked in the morning, to when I got home from school. It was like eight, in the short of a period. This is amazing because I didn't think I would make it past fifty.

**3: **I think you all know the drill by now… I DON'T OWN! Alright? Don't make me say it again, or I'll send a Goodyear after you.

**4: **This chapter is dedicated to Rachel, for being the only person not being overly dramatic, and choosing not to be bias against people with what's going on with our friends right now. She's amazing, and very shiny. BOW DOWN FOOLS!

**5: **To top off the eight things I've got to balance along with school work, I'm sick with pneumonia, which sucks. I can't talk, and I've got like, a hundred and three degree fever. So basically, I have nothing better to do than to write.

**6: **I got ninth place in a writing competition against like, sixty or seventy people. I feel so proud. And I get to write in states, meaning I don't have to sit through the two hour runner's orientation. SCORE!

* * *

**Take This To Your Grave**

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kagome sighed and looked at herself, once again, in the mirror. She looked wonderful, beautiful, ravishing, jaw dropping, astonishing, fair… so many synonyms for 'a dolled up disaster.' It seemed that every maid in the castle had teamed up to prepare her for the ball that night. It was all so jumbled and confused, that nothing had started until three, two hours after they were supposed to have. Now, four hours later, after fights between many screeching women over the tiniest things, she was finally 'ready'.

They had dressed her in an elaborate kimono, blue, gold, white, and red, Sesshoumaru's family colors once again, decorated with red and yellow sakura trees and blossoms, and tied with a white and blue obi. Her hair was in such an elaborate twist that it took three of the maids just to finish it. Now, even as she waited for Sesshoumaru to come for her, Kagome had the urge to take her hair down from its restraints, and change her kimono in favor of something more comfortable and less flashy. But she had no time to dwell, because, almost immediately after all of the maids scurried off, there was a soft knock at the door, and Sesshoumaru pushed his way into the room, a strange look on his face.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed as she watched him approach her. Was he, smiling? Sesshoumaru never smiled, unless he was bringing someone pain. He wasn't going to kill her, was he? Sesshoumaru and smiles are like… his father and pink. It just didn't happen. So… why was he smiling at her?

Twenty seconds later, Kagome realized that she was being hysterical, and tried to stop thinking. Sesshoumaru smiling wasn't that odd, was it? Another twenty seconds later, she realized just how odd it really was. He sauntered over to her, slowly, confidently, and with that damn smile plastered on his face. Without a word, he extended his arm to her, and she placed her small hand in the crook of his elbow. They exchanged a look, and then he knew. It was all an act. Someone, most definitely had made him behave, probably his father. His eyes told her exactly what he was feeling; anger, resentment, irritation even… hatred.

With a small shudder, Kagome let him lead her out of the room. They were both stiff, she could feel it through his arm, by the way his muscles flexed, tensed, and refused to give even slightly beneath her fingers. In complete silence, they reached the formal dining hall, where dinner and the ball were to held. Just as the other night, all speaking ceased and all eyes were upon them. Taking a deep breath, Kagome stepped into the room, this time moving to the very head of the table, where the guests of honor were to sit.

Seamlessly, Sesshoumaru glided to the floor, where a large, plush cushion awaited their arrival. His legs were crossed, and his molten eyes were fixed on Kagome, who gulped. This was the part she had been dreading most. Slowly, she lowered herself into his lap, sinking slightly into the rock hard chest that was her future mate. His arms enclosed themselves around her, and people began to look away, and continue their conversations.

One of his hands left her torso and reached up to fondle a loose lock of her hair affectionately. This was appropriate, not only because she was his intended, but because signs of affection between the two were expected, and someone would be suspicious if he refused to touch her in any way.

And so the meal began, many silent servants bearing hundreds of dishes to serve the hungry lords and ladies. Steaming plates of wonderfully prepared food were placed in front of them, and then the servants left, as swiftly and silently as they had entered. All eyes were upon them, once again, as everyone waited for Sesshoumaru to officially begin the meal. He was the lord for the night, and they would only eat when he gave the signal.

Delicately, Sesshoumaru reached out the arm that did not have a grip on Kagome, and picked up his gold plated chop sticks, and slowly picked up a piece of Tonkatsu (1), and lowered it into his mouth. On cue, everyone began to eat, chatting happily with each other as they had been moments before. But Kagome remained totally silent, only opening her mouth to receive pieces of food that Sesshoumaru himself fed her. Just as it was custom for her to sit on him, for the pair to be affectionate towards each other, it was a custom for him to feed her during this meal. It was interpreted as a sign that he would be a loving and caring mate; that he would be able to provide for, and care for her whenever she needed him.

Everything he did was perfect, from the way he placed the food in her mouth, to the order in which he chose to feed it to her. And in that perfection, was the stiff, overly formalness that she wasn't supposed to feel, but felt any way. Something in the way the arm holding her to him was stiff, like he was afraid she was going to run away at any moment. Kagome settled a bit more into his chest. If this was going to work, he would have to learn to trust her. She knew it would take time, and a lot of effort on her part, but it would be a lot more work trying to spend every waking moment with someone who didn't trust her.

The top of her head made its way into the junction between his neck and chin, and she nuzzled in, closing her eyes and trying her best to relax in his arms. And slowly, surprisingly, her tactics seemed to work. The meal was coming to a end, and the hand he had been using to feed them with dropped to grip her own, fondling (**A/N: **That's such a funny word… sorry) her slim fingers gently, calluses caressing the soft skin beneath them. His other arm loosened its grip, relaxed, and melted against her form. Even more surprising, was the gentle vibrating coming from his chest, rising up through his throat.

It was too… gentle… for growling, but then, what would he be doing? He didn't seem the type for purring, but then, what else could it be? Whatever it was, however, it felt good, sending light vibrations through her back, further relaxing her. With him in this state, n one would notice the mental tension between the two, no one would notice the fact that he hated having to touch her. And once they were out of there and out of the spotlight, they could resolve this, once and for all.

Soon, all of the dishes had been cleared away, and one by one, lords began to rise to their feet. Kagome rose, and Sesshoumaru followed, one arm still wrapped around her waist. Looking behind her, Kagome saw each mated male paring up with their female, and each unmated male fighting with the others over the other unmated females. For once, Kagome was glad she was with Sesshoumaru. If she knew anything about the bipolar man, it was that he would rip apart any male that dared to touch her.

Into the next room the went, where a small orchestra had already began the first strands of a slow, romantic waltz. Kagome didn't dare look up at Sesshoumaru's face as they entered the room, sweeping onto the floor. The couple stood in the middle of the floor, while Izayoi and InuTashio stood before them, Izayoi nearly dwarfed by her lord's size. And for the first time that evening, the attention was taken off of Kagome and Sesshoumaru. "Dear friends, esteemed visitors from far away lands, I know you get tired of hearing the same speech from me again and again, so I'm not going to babble. My son, Sesshoumaru, and his intended, The Lady Kagome, will begin the dancing. I feel I must say what each and ever one of you is thinking. I can not wait to see Sesshoumaru attempt to dance."

Sesshoumaru glared at his father, then growled when each and every one of the demons in the room laughed along with his father. Kagome smiled at them, then bumped his chest gently with her head to get his attention. He looked down at her, and she gave him a tiny smile as the song they were to dance to begun. The couple backed away a few paces, their eyes meeting. The demoness cursed Sesshoumaru for being able to be so hard to read when he wanted to. Where before his eyes had been swimming with hatred and malice, they were now blank, and utterly emotionless.

Trying not to let this get to her, Kagome rose her right hand to his eye level, palm facing him, fingers spread. Her partner mimicked her actions, placing his own, considerably larger hand on hers, and then began to move. He circled her, much like a hunter does it's prey, an Kagome pivoted on the spot to match him. The soft strains of a violin grew louder as they completed one rotation. Sesshoumaru, still circling her, began sliding his hand down her arm, leaving a trail of goose-flesh in its wake. The hand traced itself don her torso, and came to rest on her waist.

Kagome's arm lowered to place itself across Sesshoumaru's shoulders. Her hands grasped each other, and Sesshoumaru placed his other hand on her waist. And so they began, Kagome doing he best to concentrate on the steps of the dance. _One foot in front of the other, back up, synchronize your moves with his._ She mentally coached herself, trying to remember everything she had been taught. Despite his father's joke about him, Sesshoumaru was an exceptionally good dancer, keeping a perfect tempo the entire time, his moves smooth and easy to follow and keep up with.

Before she knew it, Kagome saw other couples joining them on the floor, including the Lord InuTashio and Lady Izayoi, Inuyasha and his latest flame-a pretty little thing named Kikyou- and Kouga, who had screwed up his courage to ask the fiery redhead, Ayame. Kagome had to stop herself from giggling when she saw the love struck look plastered across the young princess's face. Kouga didn't know what he had gotten himself into.

The song ended and all partners bowed to each other. Not to her surprise, Sesshoumaru took up her hand and pulled her not to gently, off of the dance floor. She knew that he couldn't stand being surrounded by people for that long. He would explode. So she let him lead her away, towards a secluded corner; as far away from the crowd as they could possibly get. Once they were alone, Sesshoumaru pulled her as close to him as he could without pulling her _into_ him. "You look beautiful tonight, ritoru bou." He whispered, his hot breath tickling the sensitive skin of her ear.

Kagome was dumbfounded. He had more mood swings than a pregnant woman. As soon as she thought he was warming up to her, he would turn around and lash out at her, pushing her away. Then he would be back to being sweet, caring, and utterly un Sesshoumaru like. But, of course, she really had no choice but to take it in stride, and live it up while she could. So she snuggled into him like she had at the dinner table, placing her head in the junction between his chin and his neck, and listened to the beating of his heart.

* * *

**A/N: **Another chapter done. I'm hoping to get one hundred reviews before I update again. Once again, I apologize for the long wait, and I hope you liked it. The next two chapters will be the mating ceremony. I can't wait! 


	8. It's Oh So Quiet

… **I think you know what these are by now…**

**1: **Over a hundred reviews. I think this deserves a little party of some sort.

**2: **A few people were confused about Sesshoumaru's mood swings, and I feel I should explain something. Sesshoumaru likes Kagome. His demon side has accepted and embraced that fact (hence the warm, fuzzy moments) but every once an a while, the Sesshoumaru side of Sesshoumaru tries to deny and resist the fact (hence the mean, evil moments.) I hope that will make everything a bit clearer. Any other questions you can put in your reviews.

**3: **I think we all know by now that I don't own anything.

**4: **This chapter might be a little confusing. You have to understand that I have this whole elaborate thing in my head, and it's hard to put it into words. It's like a little motel, and each one of my stories has a different room, and each room is fashioned to look like the world of the story. I can't correctly do justice to each world, but I do the best I can. So if there is anything I can't correctly describe, I apologize.

**5: **This is also a bit mature in the beginning, for nudity and Sesshoumaru checking it out. If you don't like, skip.

**6: **I apologize for the long wait… the only explanation I can offer is that I had a TON of things going on, along with drama between my friends. The one friend I keep talking about, tried to commit suicide once again and has been placed in a mental institution for treatment, and to top it all off he's mad at me for telling the school's councilor that he was having suicidal thoughts again… But, enough with my little troubles, I hate being serious, it's so depressing!

**7: **BUBBLES! I hope that made every one of you smile.

* * *

**Take This To Your Grave**

CHAPTER EIGHT

A soft breeze whipped itself across Kagome's face, making her roll her head, trying to rid herself of the sensation. A soft voice came to her, as if from a great distance, speaking to her. "Kagome… Ka-go-me. Wake up." The demoness groaned and rolled over, closing her eyes tighter and telling herself that she really didn't hear anything. "Time to get up, Kagome. You'll miss a chance to stuff your face." With another defiant groan, Kagome opened a eye to blink up blearily at whoever was trying to wake her up. She could see the blurry outline of snowy white hair, magenta stripes, a blue crescent moon, and bright gold eyes.

Her eyes were suddenly as wide as dinner plates as she jumped and yanked her covers up to her chin. "You know the thing we talked about with the bubble and respecting my personal space?" And with that, she kicked him in the knee and sat up while he glared at her. "That was for not knocking and showing proper manners towards your future mate. You may continue now." He still glared at her, but held out his hand nonetheless for her to take.

Kagome hesitated. If she accepted his hand, he would pull her out of the bed, and succeed in seeing her naked for the first time. It was tradition, for the male to dress the female, but she wasn't too sure of herself. What would someone like Sesshoumaru, who had the most beautiful women on earth throwing themselves at him, think of her? She would be nothing compared to some he had seen, but what could she do? Shaking, she grabbed his hand gently, and let him pull her out of bed.

* * *

Sesshoumaru thought, for a moment, that he had forgotten how to breathe. If he had thought she was beautiful the night before, it was nothing compared to how she looked now, void of any clothes whatsoever. His golden eyes scanned her hungrily, greedily. Her feet were small and dainty, leading up to her shapely calves and thighs. Her hips were not wide, but rather slender, though she'd have no problem bearing him a healthy heir. The sloping curve narrowed further for her waist, then flared out again as his eyes traveled up her torso. She possessed a flat, tight stomach and nicely pleasing buttocks. Her breasts were full and rounded, and pert nipples stood out in their rosy little buds. Her shoulders were slender and her arms long and willowy. She gazed at him through her vivid blue eyes and turned her head slightly, embarrassed.

Raising a hand to her face, Sesshoumaru cupped it under her chin, and looked into her eyes. "Come, Kagome, this is no time for shyness. We need to get you dressed." He longed to touch her body, to run his hands along the soft curves of her breasts and flat stomach, but he held himself back, settling for grabbing her hand and leading her towards her wardrobe.

He knew exactly what he was going to pick out. It was a favorite of his, one that she had only worn once, but had kept his eyes on her the whole time. Kagome standing beside him shifting awkwardly from side to side, Sesshoumaru rummaged through her numerous outfits until he found it and pulled it out. The first layer was midnight blue, and made of the finest silk available. The second layer was thin, see through and floaty; also blue, but many different shades of it, shifting from dark patches to light patches without a certain pattern.

"Hold out your arms." He said softly, trying to make his voice as gentle as he possibly could while holding in the arousal at her unclothed state. She did as he said, holding out both her arms parallel to the floor, cooperating with him for once in her life. Sesshoumaru grinned as his betrothed shivered when the silk slid over her skin, falling loosely around her small form. The next layer was placed on top of that, practically defying gravity as it billowed around her. His inner beast roared in disapproval as the soft skin was covered as she pulled the kimono closed.

Reaching back into the wardrobe, Sesshoumaru brought out a white silk obi and tied it gently around her thin waist, completing the ritual. Kagome pulled away him and walked past him towards her vanity, picking up a brush from the polished surface. The demon lord followed her, plucking the brush from her small hands and running it through her silky black hair. She looked over her shoulder at him as he did this, her cerulean eyes scanning his face questioningly. He just gave her a look that told her to turn back around and take it. And that she did.

When he was finished with her hair, she grabbed a ribbon from her vanity desk and made to pull it back. Sesshoumaru growled and grabbed her wrist. "Leave it down." It was an order, not a request. He loved it when her hair was down; another one of his secret fetishes. When they were mated, he would make sure it was never held back again. "Come." He griped her hand softly and pulled her towards the door and out into the hallway.

* * *

Kagome was engulfed by Sesshoumaru's bed as she sat on it, the masses of comforters and fluff consuming her entire body. To some extent she was jealous. His bedroom was far more extravagant than hers had ever been; even in her dizziest daydreams. But then again, in two days time, she would be living in the West, and probably in chambers three times more luxurious than even her father's. Sesshoumaru was walking around to the other side of his futon, preparing to join her on it. A servant would be in any moment to bring them food, and they would spend the morning eating breakfast in bed. "You have a beautiful room, Sesshoumaru." Kagome commented, laying back onto the pillows and staring at the ceiling.

"It is… acceptable." She had been right. His chambers at his castle in the West must be beyond imagination. So lost in thought was she, that she barley noticed when his arm snaked around her waist and drew her into him. Before she knew it, her body was pressed against his, and her head was resting on his chest. It was strange. She had spent her entire life hating his guts, but now, when the time came… she couldn't bring herself to pull away.

There was a knock on the door, and, with permission from Sesshoumaru the door opened, and in walked a servant, laden with two large trays of food. Without a word, the servant placed the food on the bed and exited the room, as Kagome expected he had been instructed to. This made her wonder just what her father thought they were going to be doing in there… the thought made her shiver. Nonetheless, Kagome was starving, and she gladly accepted when Sesshoumaru offered her a piece of raw meat.

Unlike the ball, they would feed each other, meaning Kagome and Sesshoumaru took turns placing pieces of food in each other's mouths. Kagome couldn't see the point. Did they honestly think that her and Lord-who-gives-a-shit would actually be feeding each other when they were mated? They would be lucky to even eat in the same room. He nipped playfully at her fingers as she reached up to feed him the last piece of meat on the tray. "You eat it." He growled, taking her hand in his and guiding it to her mouth. She could feel his words rumble in his chest, and opened her mouth to accept the food.

Much to her surprise, Sesshoumaru leaned over her and licked the remaining juice from the meat off her face. Once again, she simply couldn't find the will power to pull away. When she was satisfactorily clean, Sesshoumaru slid out of the bed, and Kagome did the same. She had no idea what they were going to do; all she knew was that she had to do whatever he asked of her. He grabbed her hand and led her once again out of the room. The halls were mysteriously empty, and Kagome suspected that her father once again had something to do with it. This made her nervous; she would have felt better with Sesshoumaru if there had been at least servants around. But there was no one, and she was completely alone with her fiancé; who was prone to mood swings, and could turn on her at any moment.

But he didn't turn on her. In fact, he acted like the perfect gentleman all the way through the castle and out onto the grounds. Only when she realized what direction they were headed in, did she know where they were going. Why was he taking her to the stables? The normal thing to do would be to stay inside; perhaps read her a book, or even take a small stroll around the gardens… but no. Sesshoumaru had to be different, not that she minded all that much, but she didn't feel completely comfortable in a stable with two ton animals that could crush her with one hoof, and someone who had hated her all her life.

Sesshoumaru, noticing her discomfort as they approached the building, merely looked down at her and flashed a wolfish grin that made her go weak in the knees. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." Kagome gulped as they entered the stables, the smell of straw and musk entering her nostrils and making her sneeze. She had always loved it here; when she was alone. In fact, she had been here just a few days ago… the memory made her cringe. That was when Sesshoumaru had finally told her that she ment nothing to him. Kagome wondered if that was still how he felt. "We are going for a ride this morning. Pick your mount." Kagome grinned, knowing exactly which one she would choose.

Half an hour later, Kagome was seated on Ryuu the temperamental, and Sesshoumaru on a huge white stallion called Katashi, meaning firmness. Together they set off around the grounds, going as far as they could while still remaining inside the castle walls. Sesshoumaru didn't let Kagome get out of touching range, however. After he had seen the mount she had chosen, he had thrown a fit, and only agreed to let her ride him when he found a mount who was far bigger and stronger, and could overtake the other horse if the need raised.

And so there they were, chatting away about random things while riding horseback across the courtyard. The mid morning sun set an orange glow about their skin, glinting off Sesshoumaru's silvery locks and turning them a golden yellow. Kagome found that, in spite of everything, she was more relaxed with Sesshoumaru now than she had ever been. Somehow, she felt that she wouldn't have a problem spending the rest of the day with him. Looking over at his handsome face, Kagome let a small smile cross her face. He was ranting on about some political problem, and had not even the slightest idea that she wasn't listening. The tone of his voice was passionate and smooth, and she could tell that he really loved what he was talking about; despite his callous exterior. He would make a great lord someday.

* * *

**A/N: **I'M SO SORRY! I know it's been over a month, but as you can see from the notes above, I've been swamped. I hope you will all forgive me, and I will get the next one (which you've all been waiting for) out as soon as I can. School's winding down (24 days left!) so I'll have a lot more time to write. Thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers. I love you all! 


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